Locking curler for resilient tubes



Dec. 2, 1958 w. c. F. DIETZ 2,862,647

' LOCKING CURLER FOR RESILIEINT TUBES Filed Nov. 22, 1957 I IN VEN TOR.

\ a); WILLIAM (.F. DIETZ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,862,647LOCKING CURLER FoR RESILIENT TUBES William C. F. Dietz, Cincinnati, OhioApplication November 22, 1 957,Serial No. 698,239 8 Claims. (c1. 222 214This invention relates to collapsible tube curlers, and moreparticularly to collapsible tube curlers which may be attached to anddetached from collapsible tubes at will. and have means adapted toco-operate with a tube to preclude rotation of the curler relativethereto.

An object of this invention is to provide a curler for collapsible tubesmanufactured from flexible materials, which tubes because they have aresilient, or rubbery quality, tend to uncurl into straightenedcondition.

A'further object of this invention is to retain a portion of acollapsible tube in coiled or curledcondition about a portion of acurler.

Another object of this invention is to provide a curler for collapsibletubes having locking means adapted to co-operate with an uncurledportion of a tube to lock the curler against rotation relative to thetube at intervals corresponding to respective half revolutions of thecurler, when desired. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tubecurler of the above character which may be placed with a collapsibletube in a paper board box, such as is used in packaging and marketing oftooth paste, shaving cream, and the like, Without enlargement of the boxor damage to the tube. V V

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tubecurler of the above character which may be operatively engaged with anddisengaged from a collapsible tube at any time without uncurling thetube sothat one curler may be used alternately with a plurality of tubesin various stages of collapse and curling.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tube curlerwhich is fabricated from a rectangular blank of thin sheet metal and inwhich a finger tab is provided at one end of a hollow, tubular memberhaving a longitudinal slot extending from the open end of the tubularmember toward the tab, the tab having a thickness substantially equal tofour times the thickness of the thin sheet metal and having a tubularportion spaced from and oriented transversely of the slotted tubularportionand a latch member extending through and pivotally supported insaid second tubular portion, said latch member .havinga pair of latcharms extending substantially radially from the axis of the said secondtubular portion, said arms having stop portions adapted to co-operate.with said tab portionto. preclude swinging of said latch arms through anangle greater than 360..

-. *A further object of this invention is to'provide for collapsibletubes a curler of the above character which is adapted to present atleast one obstructing latch arm ing drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view'of a sheet metal blank from r 2,862,647 PatentedDec. 2, 1958 which the body of a curler embodying this invention may befabricated;

Fig. 2 shows the blank of Fig. l bent to form a tubular member having alongitudinal slot;

Fig.3 is a view showing the tubular member of Fig. 2 after a portionadjacent one end thereof has been flattened to substantially coincidewith an axial plane of the tubular member;

Fig. 4 is a view of the partially flattened member shown in Fig. 3,axially rotated from the position shown in Fig. 3 and with the flattenedportion bent toward folded condition;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a locking member, part thereof beingbroken away, in association with the member illustrated in Fig. 4, afterfolding of the tab portion thereof has been completed, folding meansbeing indicated in dashed lines;

Fig. 6 is a view of the device illustrated in Fig. 5, after axialrotation through an angle of 90 to a position corresponding to that ofFigs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 7 is a side view of a collapsible plastic tube in co-operatingrelationship with a locking tube curler such as is illustrated in Figs.5 and 6, the corresponding relation of the lock and tube after thelatter has been swung through an angle of relative to the curler areindicated by dashed lines;

Fig. 8 is an end view of a collapsible tube and locking curler generallycorresponding to the tube and curler shown in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing fragments of lock member arms inrelation to the profile or intercept of the external surface of acollapsible tube with a geometrical cylindrical surface coaxial with theswingable lock member and which geometrical cylindrical surface has aradius shorter than the length of the lock member arms.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application forUnitedStates Letters Patent, Serial Number 382,128, filed September 24,1953, now Patent No. 2,820,575, issued January 21, 1958.

Collapsible tubes are widely used as containers for paste-like,semi-liquid materials. Cosmetics, lubricants, pigments, householdsupplies, abrasive compounds, and the like, are a few of the manycommodities so packaged. To economically discharge the contents fromsuch collapsible containers, it is best to progressively collapse themfrom the closed or sealed end thereof toward the discharge orifice. Toaccomplish this, I provide a curler by means of which such a tube may beprogressively flattened and about which the flattened portion of thetube is progressively rolled or coiled. The most familiar of suchcollapsible tubes is fabricated from a material which may be flattenedand wrapped or coiled about a cylindrical member which manipulation ofthe tube material results in its tending to remain in generallyconforming relationship to and about that member. Tooth paste andshaving cream tubes fabricated from metal, such as tin or the like,found in most households, are of this type. So-called plastic tubesfabricatedfrom flexible, resilient, somewhat rubber-like materials havebecome available for packaging many of the materials which haveheretofore been packaged in thin, metal-Walled collapsible tubes. Thesetubes fabricated from such rubber-like materials may be flattened andcoiled about a curler but they do not normally take on a substantiallypermanent formation or set generally conforming to the curler. On thecontrary, these plastic, rubber-like collapsible tubes tend to unrolland return to an extended condition, and also tend to return to adistended condition as Well, a quality or characteristic sometimestermed memory. This characteristic of the rubber-like plasticcollapsible tubes renders relatively complete evacuation of the contentspackaged therein, more difiicult, a circumstance which militates againstconsumer acceptance of such a container.

In the drawing, a preferred form of locking tube curler embodying myinvention, is illustrated and comprises a curler member 16 and a lockingmember 17.

The curling member 16 may be fabricated from an elongate, substantiallyrectangular blank 18 of thin sheet metal, as shown in Fig. l. I preferthat the corners 19 of blank 13 be rounded as shown, and the lateraledges 20 are also preferably rounded to eliminate sharp edges whichmight cut or otherwise damage the wall of a collapsible tube. Edge 21 ofthe blank may also be rounded in a fashion similar to edges 20. Theblank 18 is bent to form a thin-walled, hollow, tubular member 18 havinga longitudinal slot 22 defined by blank edges 20 and the edges of therounded corners 19. The tubular member 18 shown in Fig. 2, has a portion24 adjacent its end 23 flattened so that the face of flattened portion24 shown in Fig. 3 substantially coincides with a diametral plane of thetubular portion 16. The diametral plane with which the face of flattenedportion 24 coincides is preferably perpendicular to a diametral planethrough tube-receiving slot 22. In flattening the portion 24, theportions of the edges 20 in that portion of the member are moved intoabutment along a center line 25 of the face shown in Fig. 3. The portion26 of the member shown in Fig. 3 serves to couple flattened po-rtion24and tubular portion 16. Portion 26 has a generally rounded exteriorsurface, as shown in the drawings. The configuration of the interveningor coupling portion 26 is completely formed when the stage of formationillustrated in Fig. 3 is reached. Flattened portion 24 is then folded orbent into the configuration illustrated in Fig. 4 in any suitablemanner. As shown in Fig. 4, in dash lines, the portion 27 of flattenedportion 24 adjacent portion 26 may be clamped between clamp jaws 28 and29. law 28 has a flat face adapted to support portion 27, while jaw 29has a pair of flat faces joined by the face of the rounded edge portion30. A movable jaw 31 serves to co-operate with the unsupported portion32 of flattened portion 24 to bend the intervening portion about edgeinto the configuration illustrated in Fig. 4.

A locking member 17 preferably formed from round spring wire is thenplaced with its central portion 36 in engagement with that portion ofthe surface of flattened portion 24 which engaged the rounded edge ofjaw 29. The portions of the locking member 17, other than that portiondirectly engaging the bent or folded portion 33,

jaw 34 advances toward it to complete formation of the tab 15 by movingportion 32 into flatwise abutting engagement with the opposed face ofportion 27 while the connecting, intervening portion 33-substantiallyencircles the central portion of locking member 17 to secure same inpivoal relationship to the curler portion 16. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6,the lock member comprises a straight central portion 36 which extendstransversely of the axis of the hollow, tubular curler portion 16 and apair of arms 37, 37' extending in generally parallel, radial relationtherefrom and adapted to swing in planes generally parallel to andspaced from the axis of tubular portion 16. Arm portions 37, 37 havetheir free end portions bent to form ring-like portions 38, 38 so thatthe end of the wire stock lies against adjacent portions 37, 37' thereofto preclude damaging of a co-operating tube wall thereby. Each of thearms 37, 37 has a spring-stop portion 39, 39' each of which, as shownmost clearly in Fig. 6, may be of generally U-shaped configuration. Thestopspring portions, as shown in Fig. 6, are spaced from central portion36 by straight portions '40, 40'. The stoption 36 to which they areintegrally joined by elongate portions 46, 40. The stop-spring portions,as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, are spaced from central portion 36 a limiteddistance so that they may be swung into abutting cooperation with a faceof tab portion 35 without contacting portion 26 or the tubular portionto the left thereof, as shown in Fig. 6. It may be noted that theterminal ring portion 38 of lock arm 37, as shown in Fig. 5, extendsfrom arm 37 toward the foot of the drawing sheet, in both of the limitpositions, namely, the one illustrated in full lines, and the oneillustrated in dashed lines in Fig. 5. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, theterminal ring portion 38 of arm 37 extends toward the top of the drawingsheet, which is a direction opposite to that in which ring portion 38extends. The ring portion 38 extends in like direction in both limitpositions, namely, that shown in full lines, and that shown in dashedlines in Fig. 7.

As mentioned above, the lock member is preferably formed from round,springy, or resilient wire, and the arms 37 and 37' may be flexed awayfrom each other to accommodate a collapsible tube which presents greaterbulk without effecting permanent distortion of the lock member. Mostflexing may occur when the tube is nearly empty and the major portionthereof is coiled about the curler portion 16, as well as when the tubeis of an exceptionally large size. Such flexation of arm 37 is indicatedin dashed lines in Fig. 8. In that figure it may be noted that theopposite face of the collapsible tube 41 is being urged toward lock arm37 by a human finger 42.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the curler may be placed in engagement withtube 41 adjacent the seal thereof and as the contents of the tube 41 areexpelled, the tube may be progressively collapsed or flattened fromadjacent its seal toward its discharge neck and the flattened portions.coiled about curler 16. In coupling the curler to the tube 41 the sealportion is preferably received inside of the hollow, tubular portion 16with adjacent portions of the tube extending outwardly through slot 22.When the emptied and collapsed portion of the tube has been coiled upontubular curler 16, lock member 17 may be swung into obstructing relationwith at least one of its arms in co-operative engagement with tube 41 topreclude any substantial rotation of curler 16 relative to theunflattened portion of tube 41. When a part of the contents of thatportion of the tube illustrated in full lines in Figs. 7 and 8 has beenevacuated and a suflicient additional portion of that tube may beflattened and curled over one-half of the periphery of the curler, thelock member 17 is swung to move the arms 37, 37 thereof out ofobstructing relationship with the tube 41 and the additional portionthereof is coiled about the curler 16. In Figs. 7 and 8 the curler 16may be viewed as stationary while the tube is swung about it to curl orwrap the evacuated portion of the tube about it, placing the unevacuatedportion 41' in the position indicated in dashed lines. The lock member17 is then swung to the limit position indicated in dash lines topreclude any substantial rotational movement of the curler 16 relativeto the tube portion 41. It may be noted that in the limit positions oflock member 17 the stop spring portions 39, 39' engage the adjacent faceof tab 35. As the tube tends to uncoil from the curler 16, that is, tomove in a clockwise direction about the curler as illustrated in Figs. 8and 9, the tube movement is opposed by the arm 37 or 37' the terminalring portion 38 or 38' of which extends away from the discharge neck ofthe tube.

Fig. 9 is a somewhat schematic view showing the profile of. that portionof the tube with which the terminal ring and adjacent portions of thearms tend to contact andcooperate. In Fig. 9 the plane in which the arms37 and 37 tend to swing or toward which they are normally biased, isindicated by the lines 43, 43'. The profile 44 of the external surfaceof the'tube tends to bulge outwardly beyond the planes 43, 43' and thusservesto cooperate with arms 37, 37' and terminal ring portions thereof38, 38' resisting movement of locking member 17 from the positionillustrated in full lines in Fig. 7 to the position 45 indicated indot-dash lines in that figure. Further, the tendency of the tube to mendfrom the curler results in the tube resting most heavily against the arm37 or 37' which is closest to the surface of the curler portion fromwhich the tube would first uncurl, which, in Fig. 9 is arm 37. Asshownin Fig. 9, the tube tends to bulge outwardly at points 46 adjacentarm 37 and inwardly adjacent the line of contact 47 with that arm. Thus,as is shown most clearly'in Fig. 9, the tube co-operates with the lockmember to also retain the locking member in locking co-operation withthe tube, while the locking member locks the tube against unwinding fromthe curler. Of course the tube is somewhat resilient and gives as thearms 37, 37 are positively swung toward the unlocked or locked position,asthe' case may be incident to hand manipulation of that locking member17. Suchmovement of the locking member 17 from unlocked to lockedrelationship to the tube, or viceversa, normally results in some flexingof those arms, that is, spreading thereof, as- Well as corresponding'flexation of the'portions of the tube bulging outwardly beyond theplanes 43, 43 toward those planes. Such flexation of the tube and arms37, 37' is actually each the result of forces applied by the otherco-operating member.

If desired, the curler may be formed of any suitable material andpermanently attached to the tube adjacent the seal thereof.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent to those havingordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains, that variouschanges may be made in the disclosed embodiment without departing fromeither the spirit'or scope of the invention.

Therefore, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by LettersPatent is r r 1. For collapsible tubes; a locking curler comprising acurler member having a longitudinal slit hollow tubular portion adjacentone of its ends, a folded fiattenedtab portion adjacent its otherend anda rounded intervening portion integrally connecting said tubular and tabporv operative pivotal relation to said tab, and said stop portion isadapted to engage said tab and limit swinging of the locking member toan angle of less than 360 degrees. 2. For collapsible tubes, a lockingcurler comprising a curler member having a longitudinally slit hollowtubular portion adjacent one of its ends, a folded flattened tab portionadjacent its other end and a rounded intervening portion integrallyconnecting said tubular and tab portions, and a resilient locking memberhaving an axially rotatable central portion coupling a pair of normallyparallel arm portions extending radially therefrom and having a stopportion on at least one of said arms extending toward the other arm andspaced from said central portion, said central portion being received inco-operative pivotal relation to said tab, and said stop portionisadapted to engage said tab to preclude swinging of said locking memberarms past said longitudinally slit hollow tubular portion and limitingswinging of the locking member arms to an angle of less than 360degrees.

3. Packaging means comprising a collapsible tube having a hollowflattenable body, a discharge orifice in one end of said body, means forclosing said discharge orifice, said body having a second end adaptedfor sealing after charging, means sealing said second end being adaptedto serve as a core extending transversely of said body and about whichflattened portions of said tube may be 'tions, and a resilient lockingmember having an axially I coiled, a resilient locking member having acentral portion, a pair of normally parallel arm portions extendingradially in like direction from said central portion to terminal ringportions, said sealing means extending laterally of said tube to supportthe central portion of said locking member for pivoting about an axisspaced from said tube and extending transversely of the sealing means,at least one of said arm portions having a portion adapted to co-operatewith said sealing means intermediate said tube sealing portion and saidlocking member supporting portion for limiting swinging of'said lockingmember to an angle of less than 360 degrees, said arms being adapted tostraddle said tube adjacent said sealing means, whereby the sealingmeans may be locked against rotation relative to said tube and uncoilingof the tube therefrom is precluded thereby, the locking member armportion being adapted to co-operate with said tube to'resist movement ofsaid locking member from (to-operating engagement with said tube.

4. Means for sealing the charging end of a collapsible tube comprisingan elongate core member adapted to seal the charging end thereof, saidcore member extending laterally from the tube and being adapted topivotally support alocking member for co-operative engagement anddisengagement with said tube to regulate rotation of the core memberrelative to said tube, said locking member'having a central portionsupported by said core and a pair of resilient parallel arms extendingradially in like direction from the central portion thereof, said armsbeing adapted to co-operate with a tube sealed by said core whereby thefree ends of the arms are adapted to move apart when in contactingco-operation with portions of the tube of thickness greater than thespacing of the arms as they pass from a position in which thelockingmember arms are disengaged from the tube and extend substan-' tiallyparallel thereto, into a position in which they extendsubstantially.transversely of the tube in straddling relation to same.

5. .For collapsible tubes, a locking curler comprising a curler memberhaving a longitudinally slotted hollow tubular portion adapted toco-operate with a collapsible tube adjacent the seal thereof, a foldedflattened tab por tion adjacent the other end of said curler member anda rounded hollow intervening portion integrally connecting said tubularand tab portions, and a resilient locking member having. a pair ofnormally parallel arms joined 'by a central connecting portion fromwhich said arms extend perpendicularly in like direction, said centralconnecting portion being received and supported for pivotal rotation inva co-operating portion of said tab spaced from said connecting portion,each of said arms having a ring-shaped terminal end portion remote fromsaid central portion, each of said arms having a stop-spring portionbetween and spaced from said central and ringshaped portions, saidstop-spring portion extending toward each other and being adapted toco-operatively engage said tab portion to limit swinging of said lockingmember to an angle of less than three hundred sixty degrees.

6. For collapsible tubes, a locking curler comprising a curler memberhaving a longitudinally slotted hollow tubular portion adapted toco-operate with a collapsible tube adjacent the seal thereof, a foldedflattened tab portion adjacent the other end of said curler member and arounded hollow intervening portion integrally connecting said tubularand tab portions, and a resilient unitary locking member having a pairof normally parallel arms joined by a central connecting portion fromwhich said arms extend perpendicularly in like direction, said centralconnecting portion being received and supported for pivotal rotation ina co-operating portion of said tab spaced from said connecting portion,each of said arms havinga ring-shaped terminal end portion remote fromsaid central portion, each of said arms having a stop-spring portionbetween and spaced from said central and ringshaped portions, saidstop-spring portions being adapted to co-operatively engage said tabportion to limit swinging of said locking member about the axis of saidcentral portion to an angle of less than three hundred sixty degrees,and to provide for increased resilient flexing of said arms adjacentsaid intervening portion whereby the portion of said arms extendingbetween said terminal ring and stop-spring portions swings through agreater angle than the portion thereof extending between saidstop-spring and central portions when subjected to forces tending toincrease the spacing of the terminal ring portions.

7. A device for curling a collapsible tube and interlocking with saidtube to preclude uncurling of same therefrom which comprisesathin-walled hollow tubular member formed from a rectangular sheet metalblank, there being a longitudinal slot therein between the spacedadjacent edges of said formed blank, a portion of said tubular memberadjacent one end thereof being flattened, said flattened portion beingfolded upon itself along a line transversely of the axis of said tubularmember to form a finger grip with the slot defining edges inside thefolded portion, said finger grip portion supporting the slot-definingedges against longitudinal displacement relative to each other, aresilient locking member having a central portion extending transverselythrough the finger grip adjacent and parallel to the fold line thereofin pivoting relation thereto and having a pair of spaced normallyparallel like directed radially extending arms, said arms having roundedfree end portions and intermediate portions forming stop-spring elementsadapted to co-operate with said finger grip adjacent the unflattenedportion of the tubular member whereby swinging of the locking memberarms is limited to an angle of less than 360 degress and the portions ofthe arms extending between said stop-spring portions and said roundedend portions are adapted to flex through, a greater angle from thenormal position of parallel relationship than the portion between. thestop-spring portions and the central portion in response to a force ofgiven magnitude, said tubular member being adapted to receive the endseal portion of a collapsible tube with an adjacent portion projectingoutwardly through said longitudinal slot whereby said tubular member maybe rotated to effect progressive collapsing of said tube for emptyingsame while simultaneously curling the emptied portion thereof about saidtubular member, and said tubular member at half revolution intervals maybe secured against substantial rotation relative to said tube byswinging of said lock member arms from a position generally parallel tothe length of the tube into a position substantially transversely andstraddling the tube whereby the tube and at least one of the arms soco-operate as to resist swinging of the lock member out of engagementwith the tube.

' 8. A collapsible tube curler comprising a thin-walled hollow. tubularmember having spaced edges bounding a longitudinal slot, aportion ofsaid tubular member adjacent one end thereof being collapsed intoflattened condition with the walls thereof in substantial coincidencewith a diametral plane and joined together by longitudinal foldportions, the collapsed and flattened portion being joined to thetubular portion thereof by an integral hollow tapering portion, saidflattened portion being folded upon itself along a line transversely ofthe axis of said tubular member to form a finger grip tab with theslot-bounding edges inside the tab for supporting the slot-definingedges against longitudinal shifting relative to each other and thetubular member against distortion, the slot in said tubularmembertextending from the open end of said member toward said tab, forreceiving and gripping a portion of a collapsible tube adjacent the endsealed portion thereof, the slot-defining edges of the tubular memberbeing in opposed facing relation throughout their length and being inabutment in the flattened portion of said member, the crimped endportion of a collapsible tube being receivable in said slot, a lockingmember having a central portion and a pair of resilient parallel armsextending radially in like direction from the endsof said centralportion, said central portion being received in said tab adjacent thetransverse fold line thereof and parallel to said fold line for pivotingrelation to said tab, the arms of said locking member beingadapted toco-operate with a collapsible tube received in said slot, said armsbeing swingable from a posi-.

tion generally parallel to said tube and a position generallytransversely of said tube and straddling same, the free ends of the armsbeing adapted to move apart when in contacting co-operation withportions of the tube of thickness greater than the normal spacing of thearms as they pass toward and away from the position transversely of thetube straddling same, whereby the tube may be coiled on the tubularmember while the lock member arms are in disengagedrelation and thetubular member secured against substantial rotation relative to the tubewhen the lock member arms are in straddling relation to said tube.

No references cited.

